Red Promise
by Vanus Empty
Summary: Shihoudou comes too late to fulfill his first and final wish. Sendai Aka no Ou/Shihoudou.


I told myself I would write this. I plan on a "major" one-shot when volume 28 comes out, or unless I get translations... eh. In any case, I wanna make a note about this pairing. We don't really know how the present Sendai Aka no Ou feels for her, but, in the flashback, it seemed like they were close, so... My imagination had a field day with this!

Akimine Kamijyo owns SDK.

* * *

"Sendai Aka no Ou," a familiar voice called out from behind him. 

The Sendai Aka no Ou turned, smiling softly at the woman who approached. He hadn't seen her in quite some time and he had a feeling she might have shown up sooner or later. "I see you've decided to come after all, Shihoudou," he said by way of greeting.

"Yo!" The former Taishirou called, holding up her left hand, a familiar smile on her lips. "Shihoudou's back, man!" She stopped about five feet from him, placing her arms akimbo. Shihoudou sighed loudly as she looked around. "Looks like I picked a good time, too," she said, "both Kyos are fighting each other! Never seen that before, huh?" Her grin faltered slightly. "And Kyo with his true Mibu side awakening..."

Their eyes met, red meeting brown. Her smile faded completely as his remained. Gaze dropping to the ground, Shihoudou said softly, "Hey... the wind's nice up here."

_Shihoudou, if you think I've taken the wrong path, then strike me down,_ he had told her so long ago. She had accepted, thinking that that could never happen, but now...

"Live the way you want... and the wind will always be at your back," Shihoudou said as her eyes strayed over towards the figures frozen some ways away. Julian, his son, Yuan of the Taishirou, Yuan's student and his half brother, Keikoku and Shinrei of the Goyousei. Descendants of battle dolls – turned off like the toys of a bored child. She lifted her gaze, meeting his again and smiled sadly even as her throat constricted and her eyes burned. "But... I—I think I'm too late."

She was silent for a moment, swallowing thickly to keep her emotions at bay. "You're not the same man anymore," she told him softly. "You loved our family... You loved children... You were the kindest man I ever knew..."

The Sendai Aka no Ou, however, shook his head. "I haven't changed at all, Shihoudou. I just..." He paused, searching for the correct word, "gotten a little _bored_ is all."

Vaguely stunned, Shihoudou heard the blond girl gasp and cry, "B-bored?!"

It seemed her analysis was correct. This was not the man she knew. Not the man she loved and was loyal to. His beautiful red eyes were dead, the faint traces of wickedness hidden in their depths. He might have had the same smile as before, but it did not match. "Your face..." She whispered. "It's all wrong." Shihoudou lowered her head, the brim of her hat obscuring his figure. "I see." She shut her eyes tightly, but even that could not stop the tears that slipped between her lids. In a broken voice, she breathed, "You've forgotten the things that made you smile..."

_You've forgotten what made you happy... You've forgotten the kindness you showed everyone... You've forgotten how much I care for you..._

Inhaling deeply, Shihoudou used her left hand to wipe her face clear of tears, her right hand gripping the hilt of her sword as she removed it from the sheath. "So, there's only one thing I can do," she said, surprised at how composed her voice was. She looked up.

The Sendai Aka no Ou's eyes met hers for a third time. His smile was gone and his hands had curled into fists at his side. This was the first time he had ever seen Shihoudou's tears and for some reason it disturbed him. He didn't like it – he was far too used to her constant smile and anything else was unacceptable, he thought. The Sendai Aka no Ou's eyes left hers for a brief second, abandoning once warm brown irises, now dulled by emotional agony for the cold steel of her sword before they flicked back. "You do know what will happen if you fight me, right?" He asked, nonchalance replaced by seriousness.

Shihoudou shook her head and said, "Of course I do, and I don't care." She inhaled deeply and continued, "I just want to carry out the wish that you made long ago." Closing her eyes, she lifted her sword and, when she reopened her eyes, she had activated her red eyes. "If I stab you through the heart, that's it, right?" Faintly, in the back of her mind, Shihoudou was proud that only her determination showed in her voice even as her heart was breaking. "I'll seal your power..."

The blond that was there before got the connection and from her reaction, she must have known the seer who was connected to the Sendai Aka no Ou. She gasped and cried out, "W-wait!"

Lowering her head to block him from view, Shihoudou sent a silent plea for apology to the seer who was about to die. Tears began to roll down her cheeks again as she grit her teeth. "It's alright," she told the Sendai Aka no Ou, "you won't die alone." _I have no intention of remaining in this world without you..._ Charging forwards with both hands gripping the hilt of her sword, she shouted, "I'll sleep beside you forever so you won't be lonely!"

The blond screamed her refusal of the situation as the Sendai Aka no Ou's gaze lifted just in time for Shihoudou's blade to pierce him directly between the ribs, right where his heart should have been. The blond – Yuya – was still screaming.

Beneath the brim of her hat, all Shihoudou saw was the Sendai Aka no Ou's white clothes becoming stained with his blood – the red liquid sliding down the blade of her sword and becoming blocked by the hand guard before it could reach her hands and she wondered if a breaking heart was audible. However...

"Oh! You really got me! Well, that's the power of a battle doll," the Sendai Aka no Ou said, sounding very unconcerned for a man who had a large sword protruding from his chest. A trickle of fear ran down Shihoudou's spine. "That's what I'd expect from the leader of the Taishirou... You should be very proud... But," Shihoudou's head shot up, wide brown meeting unconcerned red, "it's really too bad that my heart isn't here," he confessed. "That makes it rather hard for you to stop me, doesn't it?"

Shihoudou drew back and dropped her sword arm to her side, fingers limp, teeth clenched and bared in anguish. "You..." _I'm too late. I should have done this when he first became wicked. I could have prevented so many deaths._

The Sendai Aka no Ou materialized a spear made of light as he spoke, "You're so loyal..." Even he wasn't sure if he was sincere or sarcastic. "Thank you for trying to grant me my wish. But, this isn't enough to keep me amused," he said to her as she straightened her back, eyes closed in resignation. He smiled and sighed softly, bringing his arm up. "I was expecting something more." _I will miss you._ "Goodbye, Shihoudou."

And he threw the spear straight at her.

* * *

Do you have any idea how tired I am of writing "Sendai Aka no Ou"? Really tired. Like, I never wanna write it again. I should have written his given name instead of his title, but, I dunno if people would get it. Sankyuu for reading. Please review! 


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